Love Still Isn't Easy
by Suki59
Summary: Eric and Sookie face even more drama in this human sequel to Love Isn't Easy, Love in L.A. and More Love in L.A. AH, AU, OOC. This is number 4 in my human series.
1. Chapter 1

Charlaine Harris still owns these characters.

A/N: Please enjoy Love Isn't Easy, Love In L.A. and More Love In L.A. before starting this story.

Sookie

I was sitting on the beach in Malibu just a few houses down from Victor's watching the sunset and thinking about the day I almost married Eric. I wondered if I'd ever be able to sit on a beach and not think of that day. It was supposed to be the most beautiful day of my life. But it was really the worst.

Eric and I had been through so much together since moving to L.A. and we had become such a tight team. I never would have believed that anything could break us up, but I was wrong. Staring out towards the water, I caught a glimpse of a whale breaching and smiled through my tears. There were so many things I loved about living here, but I wondered whether or not I'd ever be able to be truly happy here again.

I turned my head and found Victor's house. He was standing on the balcony. He caught my eye and I waved. He smiled and waved back. I knew I really should go to him but I wanted to wallow a little longer in my misery while I thought of my botched wedding day.

The weather had been perfect that day. My dress was perfect. The beach was breathtaking. Victor had kindly offered the use of his house and strip of private beach for the ceremony and then a small reception afterwards. He had mellowed out quite a bit and surprisingly become a very good friend to both me and Eric, so when he offered the use of his house, we happily accepted. I sat on the guest room bed with my dress gathered around my waist so I wouldn't wrinkle it. Pam looked stunning in her long rose-colored gown. She was our maid of honor and best man combo. We both sipped champagne and nervously watched out the window while our guests found seats down on the beach. There were five rows of white folding chairs on either side of a sandy aisle that led to a makeshift archway draped with gauzy white fabric that billowed in the wind. The guests were all dressed up in perfect pastel dresses and handsome dark suits but sporting bare feet.

"Where's Eric?" I was starting to get worried. He should have been there already. I set my glass down and twisted my engagement ring nervously.

"Hmmm. Not sure." Pam glanced at her watch again and tried not to look nervous, but she wasn't fooling me. We both knew that something was wrong.

I heard the helicopter overhead and knew that the media had discovered our secret wedding spot. The fact that we were at the famous Victor Maddens's house was enough to attract their attention. Add to that our other celebrity guests and the fact that Eric and I had had our own fair share of publicity and it really didn't surprise me that they were there. That's okay, I thought. Let them take pictures if they want. It should be a beautiful ceremony.

The guests were all turned around in their seats and instead of facing the ocean they seemed to be watching something back towards the house. I followed their gazes and watched a woman with bright red hair holding the hand of a little boy. She emerged from the house and ran out towards the guests and Eric was right behind her. My heart jumped as I watched him grab her by the arm and stop her from going any further. They seemed to be in a heated argument. She wrenched her arm from his grasp and looked up towards the helicopter as her hair whipped around her face from the wind. Pam and I got a good look at her. Her face seemed vaguely familiar to me and my eyes dropped to her obviously pregnant belly. I heard Pam gasp as she took my hand in hers.

"Wait right here." I was more than a little disturbed at the serious tone in Pam's voice.

Eric and the red haired woman seemed to continue their argument while the guests stared. I watched a rose-colored Pam run out from the house and take Eric's arm. The three of them seemed to have a more civil conversation for a few minutes and then they walked towards the house and disappeared from my view. The guests stopped staring and turned to each other and began talking among themselves.

I fought the nausea that was building in my stomach and watched the door knob. It turned slowly and Eric appeared, closing the door behind him. My breathing sped up when I saw the look on his face and knew that this would not be my wedding day after all. I stood and dropped my gown so that the skirt fell into a perfect hoop around me. He took a few steps towards me and held out his hand. I just looked down at it and wrung my own hands together. When I looked back up to his face, his eyes looked away, full of pain and dread.

"Who is she?"

"Her name's Arlene Fowler. I knew her in school. Back in Louisiana."

"And who's the boy?"

"His name's Eric Northman. Junior."

I nodded my head and looked back out the window at my beautifully dressed friends. I knew by the tone in Eric's voice that it was true. I felt the hot tears spill over and hoped that they wouldn't stain my dress. My lower lip quivered uncontrollably as I whispered, "I don't feel like getting married any more."


	2. Chapter 2

Pam

There were only two people in the world more upset than I was when we all left Victor Madden's house that day. It should have been a beautiful day. Sookie had never looked more radiant. I'm not usually the sentimental type, but even I was moved when I saw her in the dress. She was positively glowing. When Eric was late I knew that something must be terribly wrong. He could not have been more devoted to her and I knew that nothing would keep him from marrying her. But of course, I was wrong.

When I saw Arlene's face my blood ran cold. I didn't recognize her for an instant. The last time I saw her in school, she was a blonde. I remembered seeing her glued to Eric's neck on that sofa, wondering why he wasted himself on such trash. I'd seen Sookie's pained expression as she watched Arlene throw herself at Eric. I told Eric that Sookie had left the party and I think Arlene told me to fuck off or something like that. I'm not sure how much time he actually spent with her, but I was certain that he was sleeping with her. So when she appeared at his wedding with a little blond boy in tow, I knew what was happening. I estimated the boy's age and then counted backwards and my heart broke for them both.

I grabbed Sookie's hand and wished I could help her, and then I ran downstairs to speak to Eric.

After the success of Eric's first film, he had so many offers. I didn't blame him one bit when he took the one that promised the most money. And then I was grateful when he offered me a job as associate producer. I knew that once we had established our names a bit more, we could make the kinds of films closer to our hearts. This film was all about making money.

Once we started shooting, the days were long of course, but Sookie was a real trooper about that. She never complained even though she rarely saw him. But I saw him every day and knew how hard he worked and was certain that he had not fathered that second child. Even if there was any doubt about his devotion to Sookie—and there wasn't—he never had the time. I know, I know—it only takes twenty minutes, but really, he's just not like that.

So, I was more than skeptical when Arlene claimed that her unborn child was Eric's as well. The little boy—Eric, Junior—now he could have easily been Eric's. He was the right age and looked maybe a little like Eric. At least he had blond hair.

All I could do was assure them both that I was there for them. I loved them both and wanted nothing more than a happy ending to their story. But the more Arlene Fowler interfered in their lives, the less optimistic I was about their rosy future.

Eric

I must be a horrible person. I wanted to be happy that I had a son, but I couldn't do it. I felt terrible about it, but all I felt towards the boy was pity. He was an innocent and it made my skin crawl when she spoke freely in front of him about his parentage. I watched him lower his eyes and felt sorry for him that he had Arlene for a mother and now me for a father. He had done nothing to deserve this.

I honestly don't remember how many times I slept with Arlene in school. She was kind of a semi-regular for me, so it was definitely more than once, but I know that I never had unprotected sex with her because I didn't have unprotected sex with anyone. I may have been ridiculously promiscuous, but I wasn't stupid. But I also knew that condoms weren't 100% failsafe, and I don't remember discussing other forms of birth control with Arlene so I had no idea whether or not she was on the pill or using any other method of birth control.

The day that I got my clean bill of health from the student clinic at USC, I breathed a mountain of relief that my foolish past wouldn't interfere with my relationship with Sookie. I was sorry that I had behaved like such a complete ass in school and thanked my lucky stars that there were no permanent repercussions. But I thanked those lucky stars too soon.

Arlene claimed that she didn't tell me about the pregnancy when we were in school because she was with some other guy and he was willing to move in with her and be a father to the baby. But then when that didn't work out, she tried to find me. By then I was in L.A. although she had no idea. It wasn't until she read about my upcoming wedding in a tabloid that she knew where to look for me. Why she chose the dramatic entrance at my wedding is beyond me though. Surely there was a more tasteful way to break the news to me. Why did she have to ruin Sookie's wedding day as well? I was trying to be an adult about all this, but I was finding it hard not to hate Arlene Fowler.


	3. Chapter 3

Sookie

I got myself together and walked back to Victor's house. He asked me to stay for dinner—he was having some neighbors over as well—but I just wasn't in the mood. He had continued to be a good friend in the month or so since the big day and I was grateful. I thanked him for the afternoon and drove back to West Hollywood.

I had moved back into my apartment on what should have been my wedding night. I was grateful that I had held onto it after all. Amelia asked whether or not I wanted her to stay, and I opted to be alone. She helped me get out of the dress and changed out of her own pretty silk suit before making herself scarce. Within a few days, friends had brought my things over from Eric's so I didn't have to see him.

Since then I've been doing fairly well, all things considered. For the first week, I mostly cried a lot and felt sorry for myself. Eric called several times a day, but I just listened to his voice mails and never called him back. Finally one night, he just knocked on my door. I opened it and gestured for him to sit on the sofa, numb from the pain. I knew he couldn't hurt me any more than he already had so I decided I had nothing to lose.

"Thank you for letting me in." I just stared at him. He waited but still got no response. "As you probably heard or maybe read in the tabloids, Arlene claims that I fathered the child she's carrying now as well as Eric." I flinched at the boy's name. "She's agreed to take a paternity test when the baby is born." His voice got very quiet. "Sookie, you know that I didn't father that baby. I may be Eric's father. That's definitely possible, but we both know what the test result will be on that baby. You do believe me, don't you?"

"I want to." My voice cracked.

He nodded and bit his lower lip as tears filled his eyes. "Okay, then. That's a place to start."

I felt my own tears fall. "I need more time."

"Okay. Okay. I understand. I just want to make myself clear. We will get through this. I may or may not have a child, but we will still be together. Surely you can forgive me for the child. Beyond that, there's nothing else to forgive. I would never cheat on you, and you know that, Sookie. I was an idiot in school and it's finally caught up with me, but please don't punish me for the rest of my life for that. Please."

I just whispered. "I'm trying."

Eric

The day I got the test results for Eric's paternity test was a tough one. I had braced myself for the news, but still held out hope that the test would be negative. I went over to Sookie's house after work and told her the result.

In spite of the serious tone in the room, I was relieved that she let me hold her while she cried. That was the first time she had let me touch her since the wedding day. I told her that I would meet with an attorney to set up child support payments and that we'd have to figure out what we wanted to do about visitation. I never admitted it out loud, but I still had no real desire to have a relationship with the boy and felt extremely guilty about that.

I promised Sookie that we still had a chance at happiness together. She never answered me, but I was hopeful that in time she would come around and give me another chance. I had all my hopes pinned on that second paternity test. Once that was behind us, all we had to do was adjust to having Eric in our lives. It wasn't perfect, but I knew it could be done.


	4. Chapter 4

Sookie

By the time Arlene had her baby, Eric and I were doing fairly well. I had agreed to see him at my apartment when he came over, but we didn't go out in public. I just wasn't up for taking a chance that the press would see us together. I had softened quite a bit in my attitude towards Eric. Clearly I still loved him and desperately hoped that the second paternity test would give us a green light to proceed with repairing our relationship. I allowed Eric to touch me, but kissing was still off the table. I just wasn't ready to open up quite that much.

Eric's lawyer and Arlene's had worked out child support payments for Eric Junior based on Eric's most recent film so the payments were whoppers. If Eric had seen the boy at all, he kept it from me, which was just fine. I wasn't quite ready for that.

Eric told me that Arlene had another boy. He didn't have to say anything, but we both knew that the paternity test results would be known within a week. He was at my house when the call came from his attorney. I took his hand in mine to show my support, but then let go when I saw the look on his face. As much as I had braced myself, I knew then that I had never really believed that Eric had cheated on me until that very moment. He was pale as he hung up and turned to me to whisper, "It's not possible." I wanted so badly for that to be true, but I had to accept the test results.

I held the door open as I told him that I needed to be by myself and was amazed that I managed to hold back my tears until he was gone. His tears pooled in his eyes as he begged me to believe him one last time before I closed the door.

At least I was alone when I finally fell apart.

I counted back nine months and realized that Arlene's baby was conceived while Eric was shooting his last film. Just like in his other productions, shoot days were long and often involved nights so it wasn't uncommon for him to be out all night. I had such a hard time accepting that he was cheating on me, but then decided that anything was possible. Maybe I was terribly naïve. Maybe I never really knew Eric like I thought I did. I began to question our relationship from the beginning and it overwhelmed me that I could have been so wrong about us for so long. I took two days off of work just because I was such a wreck. I also didn't want to face the tabloid headlines and the whispers in the office. I finally put my big girl pants on and went in. That first day back was a tough one, but at the end of the second day, something happened that I never expected. I was getting ready to go home when Alcide stuck his head in the door and said I had a visitor in the lobby. I picked up my purse and jacket and headed out, and then my jaw fell open when I saw who was waiting for me—Bill Compton.

We exchanged an awkward hug and he asked if he could buy me dinner. I honestly couldn't think of a reason to say no to him and so the next thing I knew, we were eating Thai food and catching up on our lives since college. My anger towards Bill had dissipated long ago and I actually found it comforting to be with him. My ego was still so raw from Eric's wounds that having a man who once loved me paying me some attention felt good.

Over the next few weeks, I spent a lot of time with Bill. I had never needed a friend more and his timing was impeccable. He was in L.A. working as an I.T. consultant and was considering moving here, and I have to admit that the idea of having him around did appeal to me. My other friends handled me with kid gloves and I tired of their pity. Bill knew what had happened with Eric but never dwelled on it. Instead, he seemed interested in just spending time with me and showering me with attention. He took me out to dinner frequently and was affectionate but never pushy. He told me that he had ended a serious relationship recently and that she was the reason he had initially come to L.A. He also made it clear that he was interested in being more than just a friend. But he knew that I wasn't ready. At the end of each evening we spent together, he would leave me with a soft but chaste kiss on the lips and something to ponder other than my failed mess with Eric and so I focused on the one positive in my life and tried to give him a chance.

Eric called almost every day, but most of the time I just listened to his voice mail and didn't return his call. He continued to profess his claim that he could not be the father of Arlene's new baby and his attorney had filed a motion for a new DNA test, but without new evidence he was not optimistic about being granted a new test. Pam called frequently and I did take her calls but almost always ended them in tears. She was adamant that Eric had not cheated on me and pleaded with me to believe him. I wanted to more than anything else in the world, but just didn't know how. I told her about Bill and she warned me to be careful because I was in such a vulnerable state.

As Bill and I got closer, I asked him about his recently failed relationship. He never wanted to discuss details, but indicated that it was complicated and painful. I could certainly relate to that, and so it made sense to me that we should spend time together and help each other heal. In spite of my broken heart, I tried to find happiness in my life and began to consider allowing Bill to gradually become more than just a friend. I had finally decided that I would let him give me more than his usual chaste kiss and see where that led after our next date. I assumed that it would be another dinner and was pleasantly surprised when he asked to spend a Saturday with me at the beach. It was going perfectly. We were holding hands, walking the boardwalk in Venice. We were watching the street performers and for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, I found myself laughing and really having a good time. But then that all came to a screeching halt when I looked up to find Eric's piercing blue eyes watching me from across the boardwalk. My smile faded when I saw the hurt in his eyes and then I lowered my gaze to the little boy holding his hand and felt a stab to my heart.


	5. Chapter 5

Eric

I was adjusting to the news that I had a son, but knew that it was impossible that I had two. I explained to my attorney that the second DNA test had to be wrong and he filed a motion for a new test, but told me not to get my hopes up. There was really no reason for a judge to grant us a new test without some sort of new evidence. How do you prove that you didn't sleep with someone? It was just her word against mine. I seethed with anger towards Arlene but knew that I needed to check that in order to try and have some sort of relationship with Eric.

I called Sookie every day, but she rarely took my calls. I was determined to get my life back and to somehow convince her that I had never been unfaithful to her. The only person who seemed to believe me was Pam. And while Pam was a great comfort to me, she also had the misfortune of breaking the news to me that Bill Compton was back in Sookie's life. I found it hard to believe that Sookie would turn to him, but then again everything about my world now seemed foreign to me, and so her being with him was just another piece to my nightmarish puzzle of a life.

I decided that I needed to try and get to know Eric in spite of my bitterness towards his mother. He was an innocent in all of this and deserved a father that did more than just write big fat checks. So I finally called Arlene and arranged to spend a day with him. When I picked him up I was civil to Arlene for the boy's sake, but cringed when she asked if I wanted to see the baby. I feigned interest in front of Eric, but seethed inside at this woman who used her children as pawns.

Eric was painfully shy with me and I tried my best to be patient, but I had never spent time with a five-year-old and was terrified when he started to cry in the car. I pulled over and asked what was wrong and finally got out of him that he missed his daddy and didn't want a new one. I panicked and called Arlene. I handed the phone to Eric and watched him calm down as his mother spoke to him. Then I took the phone back and asked what I should do. She explained that she had lived with a boyfriend when Eric was little and he often cried for him but not to worry about it. I hung up and told Eric that he could just call me Eric and not daddy if that would help and he seemed to be a little less miserable.

By the time we got to Pam's house, Eric was feeling better. The three of us had lunch and then we decided to walk to the beach. At the last minute Pam changed her mind and sent us out alone saying it would be good for me and that she would see us later when we got back. I took Eric by the hand and we walked to the boardwalk. He seemed to relax a little as we approached the crowds and street vendors. There was so much to see and he was distracted by all the people and activity and seemed to forget his earlier misery. I was relieved that he was having a better time and began to relax myself until I saw Sookie standing in front of me. I felt a jolt to my heart as I watched her smiling and watching a street performer. Then I felt a little sick when I saw that she was holding hands with Bill Compton. Her face lit up with laughter but then it quickly faded when her head turned to me and our eyes met. I was momentarily frozen as I looked at her, but then I snapped out of it as Eric tore from my hand and started to run towards her.

Sookie

Just as I saw the boy holding hands with Eric, he jerked away and began to run towards me. I was puzzled, but then that turned immediately to concern as he wiped out on the sidewalk and came up crying. I stood still and watched Eric take the few steps towards the boy and try to comfort him. Eric got the boy on his feet, but he was crying loudly and calling, "daddy," over and over. The more Eric tried to console him, the more hysterical the boy became. He held his arms up as if to be picked up, but every time Eric tried to take him, little Eric would push him away angrily and cry louder. People were starting to take notice and I could see the panic in Eric's eyes as the boy's cries grew more frantic.

I dropped Bill's hand and started walking towards the two. I had no idea what I could do, but instinctively I wanted to help Eric. I crouched down to see to little Eric but didn't know what he wanted. Then suddenly he was being picked up by someone beside me and the volume of his cries immediately lowered. I stood and turned in shock as I watched Bill holding him and soothing him with, "Daddy's here. It's okay." My mouth fell open and I looked to Eric who was also in shock. Bill gave us both a look that warned us to keep our mouths shut in front of the boy. We all stood there in silence waiting for little Eric to calm down while the crowds walked around us. When the crying finally stopped, Eric said, "Let's all go back to Pam's. We need to have a talk."


	6. Chapter 6

Bill

I never stopped loving Sookie Stackhouse. I certainly fucked it up with her when I slept with Lorena again, but that didn't mean that I didn't stop loving her. I pined for her for the rest of my college days and beyond. She was my idea of the perfect women.

After she broke up with me, I dated quite a few girls in school, but I was never in anything terribly serious until I met Arlene. Actually, when I first met Arlene, it wasn't serious at all. I knew she was seeing other guys and I certainly was seeing other girls. It wasn't until I found out early in my senior year that she was pregnant that it got serious. I considered marrying her, but she said that all she required was my presence, so I didn't push it. I wasn't sure that I really wanted to marry her, but I felt like it was the right thing to do. So, instead of getting married, we moved in together in an apartment off campus. Eric was born in March and we were pretty happy, the three of us. Money was tight and I still had several more months until I graduated. I started taking I.T. jobs for extra money even though it wasn't really what I wanted to do with my life. I was a business major and had planned on getting my MBA after graduation, but having an instant family put those plans on hold. I had always been good with computers and those skills helped me get through school, but suddenly it looked like I would be stuck doing I.T. jobs indefinitely and I was not very happy about that.

So I graduated and Arlene and Eric and I stayed in our apartment and I took every I.T. job I could get my hands on, but it never seemed to be enough for Arlene. I kept telling her that if I could go back to school, then I'd make a lot more money. But of course, I couldn't go back to school while I was trying to support my family. I felt caught in a trap and started looking for my exit. I had never really been in love with Arlene, and once the problems began, the feelings I did have began to disintegrate. When Eric was old enough to start pre-school I hoped that Arlene would get a job at least part-time to help with expenses. She had dropped out of school when she got pregnant and shown no interest in going back. But she didn't want to get a job either. She just wanted me to make more money. I moved out and got a small apartment of my own. I started to date other women but I still spent most of my free time at Arlene's so I could be with Eric. Regardless of the mess his mother and I had made of our relationship, I loved him more than anything in the world. I was torn about the separation and slept with Arlene several times in spite of our break-up. I was beginning to regret my lack of will at staying away from Arlene and finally made the decision that we were completely through.

As luck would have it, as soon as I'd decided that we were over, we found out that Arlene was pregnant again. She had been on the pill for years, but I guess we were the one percent of people for whom that particular method failed. I decided to move back in in spite of my ambivalent feelings towards her. We were having another child and so I committed myself to the family again.

Within months, Arlene and I were back to our same old arguments. I never seemed to be enough for her. She constantly complained that I didn't make enough money. Our sex life took a bizarre turn during her second pregnancy. I'd never had any problem making love to her while she was pregnant. I still found her to be beautiful, but she stopped wanting to have sex with me. Instead, she wanted to go down on me constantly. I found it to be odd, but what normal guy complains about too much head? But I knew that it wasn't right because she never seemed to enjoy it. In fact, she would run into the kitchen after every blow job to spit out what had previously seemed just fine for her to swallow. Like I said, it got bizarre.

Then I came home one day and Arlene was packing her things and Eric's and told me she was moving to Los Angeles. I sat down in shock and she stunned me further by casually telling me that I was not Eric's biological father and that I was also not the father of the baby she was currently carrying. I was devastated. In spite of our problems, I loved Eric and being his father was the most important thing in my life. And I looked forward to feeling the same way about the new baby. I counted the months and knew that she may be telling me the truth. We had been technically separated when she conceived the baby and we weren't in an exclusive relationship when Eric was conceived either. I asked her who had fathered both children and she said the same name for both: Eric Northman.

I'd hardly known Eric Northman in school. He was one of my housemates for awhile but we were never close friends or anything. It sickened me that Arlene had named our son for him and I'd had no idea that he was Eric's biological father. I'd assumed that he must still live in Shreveport if he had been sleeping with Arlene during our separation and I wondered why Arlene was so eager to move to Los Angeles until I found the drawer full of articles.

Arlene had already taken Eric and flown to L.A. I was in our office when I found the collection of articles in the desk. Eric Northman was some big successful movie director in L.A. and I'll be damned if he wasn't engaged to none other than Sookie Stackhouse. I checked Arlene's calendar and there were notes with addresses and names and numbers all over it, and I realized that she had been planning her move for quite awhile. The tabloid articles had names and numbers all over them as well. I matched up some of the names with the articles. It appeared that she had been in touch with the journalists. That must have been how she'd tracked him down. On her calendar a few days after she'd left a date was circled and "Eric's wedding" was scribbled across it. I could see that she had planned to stop the wedding and suddenly I was no longer mad at her. All I saw was a chance to get Sookie Stackhouse back. Without thinking any further, I started to pack my bags as well and began making some calls to get a job in L.A. Arlene may have ruined my life so far, but there was no reason I couldn't start over and try to find some happiness after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Sookie

Bill carried little Eric back to Pam's and big Eric and I walked behind him in silence the whole way. I watched the boy clinging to Bill's neck and couldn't imagine how all this could possibly be explained. When we got back to Pam's (and I wished I'd had a camera when I saw her face), she got a band-aid for little Eric's knee and a cookie and Bill took him into her bedroom and put him down for a much-needed nap.

Bill emerged into the living room where Eric, Pam and I were silently nursing our lemonades. I could feel Eric's stare, but I avoided looking at him.

"I suppose an explanation is in order." Bill sat down beside me on the sofa but not too close. "I lived with Arlene until recently."

Eric scooted to the front of his seat. "You're the father of her baby." It wasn't a question.

"No. You are." Both men glared at each other and the room suddenly seemed to be choked with testosterone.

"Okay. Let's start over." Pam jumped in as referee. "Bill, how long have you lived with Arlene?"

"Since before Eric was born."

"And are you Eric's father?"

"No. I thought I was until recently, but Eric is obviously."

"And are you certain that you're not the father of the baby?"

"Yes." Bill was gritting his teeth. "Eric is."

"That's not possible." Eric was back to the edge of his seat.

"Well apparently it is. DNA tests don't lie."

I got up and went to the kitchen, already bored with the stand-off. I listened to the men bickering some more and then wandered into the bedroom to watch little Eric sleeping. He was such a lovely child and for the first time I really thought about what this must be like for him and it broke my heart. His eyes opened and he smiled up at me and whispered, "You're pretty," and then shyly buried his face into the pillow. I replied with a quiet thank you and went to the living room to announce that he was awake.

Eric and Bill were standing and almost shouting by the time I got back and I told them that Eric was awake. "Bill, why don't you take Eric home. I'll ride back with Eric—I mean big Eric." (I felt a little foolish using that term.) "We have some things to discuss."

"That's okay. I don't want to interrupt your day. I'll take him." My mouth fell open as Eric's words twisted like a knife in my stomach. I turned to him and saw the anger in his eyes. Was he angry at me? He walked back into the bedroom and came back with little Eric in tow. Bill knelt and gave the boy a good-bye hug. He looked up at Eric and asked for Arlene's number. Eric went into the kitchen and returned with a piece of paper. He handed it to Bill gruffly, said polite but terse good-byes to the room and left with little Eric.

Eric

I was floored when Bill Compton picked Eric up and consoled him on the boardwalk. He clearly had some explaining to do. When we got back to Pam's house and Bill told us that he had lived with Arlene, I knew that he was her baby's father and that he was behind all this. He had done some sort of underhanded DNA switch to accuse me of cheating on Sookie so that he could get back into her good graces. I saw red and wanted to kill the motherfucker but kept my temper in check in front of Sookie and Pam. I was determined to get to the bottom of this.

Sookie suggested that I take her home, but I found myself too angry to comply. Yes, it was obviously Bill's doing and definitely Arlene's to tear Sookie and me apart, but Sookie wasn't exactly innocent in all of this. She told Pam that she was dating Bill. She used that word. I was going through a legal nightmare and she was entertaining a new (old) boyfriend. My patience with her was worn thin and suddenly I didn't feel like being Sookie's punching bag anymore. She didn't have enough faith in me to believe me when I told her that I had not cheated on her and then she began a new romance before the ink was even dry on my new child support checks. I needed her on my team more than ever, and she seemed to be on her own instead.

Sookie

Bill walked me to my front door and leaned in for our regular and chaste kiss. I let him, but then said a quick good-bye. Earlier in the day, I had planned on taking our romance a step further, but suddenly I didn't feel like it any more.

I was more than a little upset at Eric's behavior towards me. He was cold to me and I wasn't expecting that. Up until now, he had been so sweet to me, always begging me for forgiveness because my wedding day was ruined. And asking me to believe him when he said he hadn't cheated on me. I had grown so used to having Eric groveling at my feet that I was surprised and hurt when he rejected my idea of driving home together to have a talk. Had Eric run out patience for me? Suddenly the thought of Eric's cold shoulder had me in a panic. After all, his wedding day was ruined too. And his fiancé lost faith in his fidelity. I had just taken for granted that Eric would always be there begging me to take him back. The possibility that he no longer wanted me felt painful and shocking. What if he was right and Bill had somehow switched the DNA tests and Eric really had been faithful? But was Bill really capable of doing something so deceitful? And why would he do that? I had such a headache and was so confused that I had to lie down to sort through all my thoughts. I just wished I could turn back time and be with Eric like we were before. But I knew that no matter what, things would never be the same for us and I was scared—really scared, for the first time.


	8. Chapter 8

Sookie

I woke up on Sunday morning anxious to talk to Eric. I had tossed and turned all night thinking about the bizarre situation we had all found ourselves in. It was obviously no coincidence that Bill was the man who had been living with Arlene up until recently. I wondered if this was enough new evidence for Eric's attorney to get a new DNA test. I knew nothing about the legal aspect of the situation, but wanted to learn more.

I got dressed and drove to Eric's. I still had a key but knocked on the door instead. When he first opened the door, I thought I saw a flicker of happiness in his eyes, but then it was replaced with the same cold look he'd had at Pam's the day before. He stepped back and invited me in.

It felt odd being a guest in what had essentially been my home up until recently, but I sat on the sofa and accepted the coffee Eric politely offered. I noticed it was in my favorite cup. I opened the conversation. "Do you think that Bill's involvement with Arlene will be enough evidence for a new DNA test?"

"I really have no idea. I spoke to my attorney last night, but I guess we'll find out tomorrow. The hearing is at eleven."

"You don't really think that Bill would do something like switch the DNA do you?"

"I have no fucking idea what he would do."

"Well, he and Arlene weren't around when the tests were done obviously. I've been thinking about it and honestly, I don't see how the tests could have been switched. I mean the soap operas make it look so easy, but in reality I would imagine there's certain protocol that's followed to insure the accuracy of the tests, right?"

"You know about as much about it as I do, Sookie."

"Well, that's not true, actually. You've had the test and I haven't. Tell me how that went exactly. Did you have to go to a clinic or something?"

"No, it was done in Arlene's attorney's office."

"Tell me about it."

He sighed as if a bit impatient. "A woman swabbed the inside of my cheek and put it into some sort of vial and into her little medical kit. I signed some paper, showed my driver's license to the notary in the room. Another woman from the office signed as a witness. Her signature was notarized, and then I left. There really wasn't much to it."

"Do you have a copy of that document?"

"I'm sure my attorney does."

"I can see what Arlene's motive would be here. I mean she's obviously getting your child support payments now. But I really don't see how Bill could possibly benefit. He's no longer with Arlene and so obviously doesn't get any of the money. I just don't see why he would be a part of this, I mean, if it is some sort of scam or something." I was really just thinking out loud, working through my thoughts, and when I turned my attention back to Eric, he had a frighteningly cold look on his face.

"He's fucking you, isn't he? Isn't that enough of a motivation?"

I felt like I had been slapped in the face. My eyes teared, but I was determined not to cry. I shakily stood and whispered a thank you for the coffee before I left. I turned back when I got to the door and Eric was still sitting and staring at me with hatred in his eyes.

I made it all the way to my car before falling apart. I went home and threw myself on the bed and had a good cry. I wondered how things had come to this. Eric seemed to actually hate me. I got up to splash water on my face and then sat back down on the bed and went over my meeting with Eric with a clearer head. Surely, he didn't really think that I was sleeping with Bill. I started to try and put myself in Eric's shoes and think of all that had happened recently.

What if Eric's claim that he's been faithful is true? What if somehow the DNA tests are wrong? He would feel frustrated and angry, which he obviously does. And how would he feel about me? Betrayed. I had wanted so badly to believe him, but then in the end, I hadn't. I trusted the DNA tests more than my fiancé's word. I believed the logical conclusion rather than having faith in Eric. Suddenly, I realized how badly I had hurt Eric. I had been so busy wallowing in my own pain, I guess I hadn't really thought about his.

And now he thinks I'm sleeping with Bill. But really, why wouldn't he? I have been seeing Bill. And if Eric knows that I'm capable of losing faith in him, believing I would turn to Bill would be a perfectly reasonable conclusion. And of course, I was so hurt by his absurd accusation that I left in a huff, but I hadn't denied the accusation, had I? I'd been so inundated lately with all of Eric's apologies that I was too stupid to see that I actually owed him quite a few as well.

And what exactly have I been doing with Bill? I don't love Bill. I love Eric. I've let Bill stroke my bruised ego and selfishly enjoyed his attention. But if I really thought about what I want, I don't want Bill. Most of my adult life I've spent wanting Eric and now that I'm examining my true feelings, I still want Eric.

I took it a step further. Let's say that Eric really is the father of those two children, and let's say that he did make a mistake and cheat on me. That makes me feel angry and hurt, but I still love him. And then I realized that I'm not ready to walk away from Eric at all. I mentally slapped myself and told myself to grow up and deal with what are now some very adult problems in my life. Eric needs me now. He needs me to support him, not be another problem to face.

I'm not sure why I was weak and fell apart and ultimately turned to Bill, but I suddenly felt ashamed of myself. I'd temporarily lost my way, but I wanted to get back on Team Eric and I had some work to do to get there.

The first thing I did was call Bill.


	9. Chapter 9

Bill

Sookie called me on Sunday afternoon and invited me over. I was hoping that it was the date that would take us to that next step, but I couldn't have been more wrong. She sat me down and gently told me that she was still in love with Eric and apologized for leading me on. It hurt, but I could see that she was sincere and that she had really thought it through and surprisingly I found myself proud of her. We'd really grown up a lot since we'd known each other in college.

We agreed to remain friends, which was all we'd really been since my arrival in spite of my hopeful and subtle advances. Then we had a long and frank discussion about the Arlene situation. I assured Sookie that I would never have taken part in any kind of scheme to fraudulently extract money from Eric. It broke my heart when I learned that I wasn't the father of Arlene's children. I wanted to be their father more than I wanted Sookie Stackhouse, and that was saying something.

As painful as it was for the both of us, she brought up the time frame when Arlene's second child was conceived. "So, the two of you were separated at that time?"

"Yes, but we were obviously still sleeping together. Otherwise I wouldn't have assumed that I was the baby's father."

"And did she explain to you what she was doing in L.A.?"

"She wasn't in L.A. then. It wasn't until she came here right before your wedding that I knew what was going on. She'd never been to L.A. before that."

Sookie's face looked blank and she paused before her next question. "Then how did she sleep with Eric?"

"I guess in Shreveport."

"Eric never went to Shreveport. He was in the middle of a shoot. He barely had time to sleep, much less take a trip to Shreveport."

The light bulb went off for the both of us, and for the first time I really seriously considered the possibility that Arlene had done the unthinkable. I was mortified at how I may have underestimated her ability to ruin lives with her lies, but then my next thought was a euphoric hope that I was the father of the children after all.

"Bill, if you have something to tell me…"

"Sookie, no. I had nothing to do with this. You have to believe me. I _want _to be the father of those children. Nothing would make me happier than learning that Eric isn't their real father."

"And do you think that Arlene is capable of doing what I'm now starting to think she's done?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. Maybe."

"So, if you weren't in on this, then how would she have gotten your DNA?"

"I have no idea…" Suddenly I remembered the bizarre blow job period of our sex life during her pregnancy and how she had insisted on going down on me, but then had always run into the kitchen to spit. My blood ran cold when I wondered—what if she had been planning all of this back then? And in the next instant, I knew that it was true.

"What is it, Bill?" I must have had an odd look on my face, but I wasn't about to disclose to Sookie the details of what I suspected.

"I think Arlene's more devious that I ever thought possible."

Sookie

After Bill left on Sunday night, I tried calling Eric, but just got his voice mail. I wanted to tell him about my conversation with Bill, but couldn't exactly leave all that in a message, so I just asked him to call me. He didn't.

The following morning I was in my office when Bill came in. I offered him a seat and could tell he had something important to say so I closed my door.

"I couldn't sleep last night." I nodded, knowing how it felt to lose sleep over this mess. "The more I thought about it, the more I'm convinced that Arlene has defrauded Eric. I don't know how exactly she did it, but we lived together, so yes, it is entirely possible that she got some of my DNA. In fact, I think she has been planning this for quite awhile. Sookie, I swear to you that I had nothing to do with this."

"I believe you, Bill."

"But, I do have something to confess." I sat up in my chair, holding my breath. "I didn't exactly follow Arlene out here. I came out with the intention of getting you back in my life. I've always loved you, and I knew that Arlene was planning on breaking you and Eric up. I selfishly took the opportunity to come out and find you."

"How did you even know where I was?"

He sheepishly removed a folded piece of paper from his pocket, opened it and laid it on my desk. It was a tabloid article about me and Eric with scribbling all over it.

"I'm guilty of wanting you back and not fully disclosing my intentions, but I swear I knew nothing about Arlene's plans. I mean, I knew she was planning on ruining your wedding, but I honestly believed her when she told me that Eric had fathered the children."

I thanked Bill and forgave him as he left my office. I slumped back into my chair and stared at the tabloid article. My photo was from some red carpet event and there were devil horns scratched onto my head and a crudely drawn pitchfork in my waving hand. I absently read the list of names and phone numbers scrawled across the page, recognizing the names of tabloid journalists that I'd spoken to frequently myself when I was trying to clear Felipe's name. But then I stopped on one name that I was very familiar with. I couldn't believe my eyes, and had to be sure it was who I thought it was. My blood ran cold as I picked up the phone and punched in the number. It rang twice before a woman chirped, "Debbie Pelt." Oh my god.


	10. Chapter 10

Sookie

I flew out the door and tried to call Eric, just getting his voice mail again. Then I tried Pam, who did answer. I asked her where Eric's hearing was and looked at my watch. If I had luck with the traffic, I thought I just might make it in time.

I found Eric, Pam and a man I assumed to be Eric's attorney seated in a row of chairs outside of the courtroom. They all stood as I approached and I quickly explained what I knew, which wasn't really much. What I did know was that Arlene had had some sort of contact with a woman who hated me and had proven capable of vindictive behavior—Debbie Pelt. Eric's attorney sat and opened his briefcase and started shuffling through papers while I continued explaining what I knew to Eric and Pam. The attorney seemed satisfied with finding a document that he handed to Eric. Eric read it and I watched his expression change before he handed it to me.

"This is the paper I told you about that I signed when they swabbed my cheek." I scanned it, not really comprehending the words, but then my heart stopped when I got to the bottom with the signatures. Eric's signature was on the left and on the right above the word witness was another signature—Sandra Pelt.

"Do you know this woman?" The attorney was asking me a question. I shook my head no while holding Eric's gaze.

Eric

Sookie stepped away and took her phone from her purse, but her eyes never left mine. I knew how determined and capable she could be. I'd seen her in action before, and I couldn't have been prouder. No matter what kind of a mess our relationship was in, she was still fighting for me. And I still loved her.

She returned after a quick phone conversation and said that Alcide told her that Sandra was Debbie's sister. Mr. Cataliades nodded his head confidently as he held the door open for us and we all entered the courtroom. He gestured for the three of us to sit in the gallery while he approached Arlene's attorney across the room. They had a quiet and brief conversation before disappearing together through a door in the side of the courtroom.

I absently diverted my attention to the court proceedings in front of me and listened to two other attorneys presenting a case while the judge listened and questioned them. I wasn't really following what they were saying until the judge granted someone's motion and asked for the next case.

I watched as my attorney and Arlene's approached the front of the courtroom and took their seats at opposite tables. When called upon, they both stood and introduced themselves to the court and Mr. Cataliades briefly explained that we wanted new DNA tests and why. Then the judge turned to the opposing counsel who simply said, "We do not oppose the motion, your honor."

"Thank you. The motion is granted." The judge looked down and began addressing the next case.

Mr. Cataliades gestured for the three of us to exit before him and as soon as we emerged into the hallway, he shook my hand with a smile.

And for the first time since my botched wedding day, I felt like things just might be looking up.

Pam

After we all left the courthouse I convinced Eric and Sookie that we should definitely celebrate with lunch. They both seemed to hesitate, but I insisted and we walked in silence to a lovely restaurant a few blocks from the courthouse. As soon as we were seated I looked down at my cell phone, pretending to see an urgent text message.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry, but I have to go." They both looked panicked at the thought of my leaving them together. "It's a personal emergency. A friend in need." That wasn't exactly a lie. "Sookie, can you give Eric a ride home?"

"Of course."

And then I ducked out of there and grinned all the way back to my car.

Sookie

Eric and I made inane small talk throughout most of our lunch. It was uncomfortable, but being close to him strengthened my resolve to win him back. When he picked up the check, I thanked him for lunch and he looked me in the eye and said, "Thank you for what you did this morning."

"You're welcome, Eric. I'm glad I was able to get there in time." As he signed the check, I awkwardly reached out and squeezed his hand.

The ride home was pretty quiet and when I dropped him off in front of his building, he thanked me again. After he got out of the car, he turned back before closing the door and said, "We'll talk after we get the next test results back, okay?" I nodded before driving off towards the office.

Eric

It had been an emotional morning. The hearing went well, of course, and then Pam left Sookie and me to have an uncomfortable lunch and ride home. I had so much I wanted to say to her, but really only managed a thank you for her efforts before our court appointment.

I was feeling optimistic about proving that Arlene's baby was not mine, which would in turn prove to Sookie that I had not been unfaithful. Beyond that, I wasn't sure how I was going to proceed with Sookie. I knew she was seeing Compton and the thought of it made my blood boil. I was so ridiculously jealous when she'd started talking about him the previous morning. I hadn't intended to accuse her of fucking him, but when I did and she didn't deny it, I really thought I was going to lose it. I just kept thinking we should have been married by now, and instead, she's fucking Compton. How did it get this bad between us? Even if she could forgive me for the ruined wedding day and the subsequent mess, could I forgive her for running back into the arms of her former lover? Pam stuck by me through everything, her belief in me never wavering, but Sookie lost her faith fairly quickly and turned to another man for comfort. For the first time, I was wondering if maybe it was for the best that our wedding was interrupted. If she wasn't certain about my integrity, maybe we shouldn't have been planning a life together after all. But in spite of her obvious uncertainty, my commitment was resolute. My love for her had not changed. Even with the knowledge of her new relationship with Bill, I knew that I still wanted her. No matter what, I was determined to win her back. I hoped that once I was armed with the new test results, I could begin forging my path back to her heart while finding forgiveness in my own.


	11. Chapter 11

Sookie

I had been back at work for a few hours, but I was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on anything. I kept thinking of Eric's words as he got out of my car earlier. We'd talk after he got the new test results. That would take a week. I didn't want to wait a week to talk to Eric. I didn't even want to wait an hour. I finished up what I was doing and grabbed my purse and drove with determination back to Eric's place.

Eric

I was surprised to see Sookie when I opened the door, but I was also happy about that. I'd wondered how I was going to stay away from her until the test results were back, and I no longer had to.

We sat facing each other on opposite ends of the sofa. She took a deep breath and started the conversation. "First of all, you're wrong about Bill. I believe him when he says that he knew nothing about Arlene's plan. He wants to be the father of those children. He doesn't care about your money. He has no motive for trapping you like she does…and before you go accusing him of fucking me, as you so eloquently put it, just to set the record straight, I'm not sleeping with him."

"Oh." Talk about eloquent.

"I'm not proud of it, Eric, but I have been spending time with him for completely selfish reasons. I was such a mess after the wedding crap and he just happened to be there to pick up the pieces and I should have been with you, taking care of you and your problems instead of wallowing in self-pity with my head up my own butt." I tried not to smile. "He does want more, but we never crossed that line between friendship and…well…more than friendship. And I've told him that he and I will never be more to each other." I felt my shoulders relax a little and it got a little easier to breath all of a sudden.

"I'm relieved to hear that." Relieved wasn't really a strong enough word for what I felt.

"I'm sorry that I worried you with it. You've had enough on your plate."

"Well thank you for explaining it. But you know I've been thinking that maybe it's a good thing that the wedding was interrupted." She opened her mouth and then closed it when I held my hand up. "If we were really completely committed to each other, we should have been able to handle this together. For better or worse, Sookie. You clearly had doubts. Maybe I've been pressuring you too much. Maybe you weren't ready to marry me after all."

"No!" Her eyes began to tear. "Don't say that! I just fucked up, Eric. I was so wrong and I'm sorry. Please don't say that." She started to cry and I scooted close enough to hold her.

"It's okay."

She clung to me for a moment and then composed herself and sat back. "No, Eric, it's not okay. I handled everything so badly. You needed me and I wasn't there for you. Please give me another chance and let me prove myself to you."

I took a deep breath. A part of me wanted to grab her and drag her to the bedroom and forget all the mess between us, but a more rational and careful part answered her. "Let's take it slow and see how it goes, okay? Both of us have some pretty deep open wounds at the moment, and I want us to be certain this time that we're doing things right, okay?"

"Okay." I put my arms around her again and we just held each other for a long time. She finally took a deep breath and pushed back and stood to leave. I walked her to the door and thanked her for coming.

"When do you get swabbed again?"

"Nine a.m."

"I'll pick you up at 8:30." I just smiled and nodded. She was back on my team.

Sookie

This time when Eric's DNA was taken, his nosy fiancé was there taking notes, writing down the names of the people in the room, asking questions about the process. I dropped him off at home before heading to the office and told him that I'd see him later for dinner. I didn't give him a chance to say no. I loved seeing that confident smile back on his face in the rear view mirror as I drove away.

We walked down the street to Santa Monica Blvd. to eat dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Eric asked if I wasn't worried about the press seeing us and I just checked my makeup in my compact and smiled sweetly. "Now I'm ready for them."

After dinner we walked down to the little park that we sometimes spent time in and sat together on a bench holding hands. Eric took a deep breath and said, "This time next week, it should all be over. Then we can get on with our lives."

I looked into his sweet blue eyes and told him, "There's no reason to wait. Whatever happens next week won't change how I feel." I saw what I thought might be a glimmer of hope flash in his eyes. "I mean, we both know that now the odds are definitely in our favor that the new test will be negative. But, honestly, Eric, even if it's not, I'm ready to face whatever lies ahead with you. I was so wrong to back away from your problems. Our problems. You were right—for better or worse. I made a mistake—a huge one. Can you ever forgive me?"

Eric leaned in so close that I could feel his breath on my lips as he whispered a heartfelt, "always," just before his lips touched mine. It was a soft, slow, tender kiss. He smiled sweetly as he pulled away and squeezed my hand tighter.

I felt hypnotized by his beautiful blue eyes. My eyes scanned his perfect features that were seared into my brain. This was the man I wanted with me forever. Before I gave it another thought, I whispered, "Will you marry me?"


	12. Chapter 12

Eric

I knew that my brain should say no to Sookie's proposal, but my heart and other body parts won and a "yes" escaped my lips before I could even think about it.

Then my brain clicked into gear and I followed my response with responsible logic. "But we should wait, sweetie. We've been through a lot."

"I don't want to wait."

"Okay, but even if we decide that this is what we want, it's going to take some time to plan it all again." I touched her face as I felt sympathy for her perfect day ruined. "I know it was so perfect—just what you wanted. The beach, your dress…"

"None of that really matters, Eric. Heck, I could do Vegas with an Elvis impersonator and it wouldn't matter."

"No, it would, Sookie. Your dress…"

"Actually, there's no reason I couldn't still wear the dress…" We both started to grin. Were we serious? Was she? My heart started to race at the possibility and then I knew that it was really what I wanted. I felt so cheated out of our wedding and wanted her to be my wife more than anything else in the world at that moment.

We walked back to my apartment building and we shyly stopped to say goodnight at her car. We'd been mostly silent on the walk back, but held hands and I could feel the electricity between us. Maybe we were kidding about the Vegas wedding. And then again maybe we weren't.

I leaned in to kiss her goodnight and began with another slow gentle kiss like the one in the park. But Sookie parted her lips and her tongue found mine and before I knew what hit me, I had her pressed up against her car crashing my mouth into hers passionately. She pulled back a little and smiled into my mouth, both of us panting heavily. She pressed her hips significantly into my erection and teased, "Save it for the wedding night, Romeo."

Nothing could have knocked the smile off of my face as she drove away.

Sookie

I asked Alcide for Friday off and when I told him why, he smiled like it was his birthday. I had stayed away from Eric since Tuesday night and the few conversations we'd had mostly just consisted of his asking, "Are you sure?" over and over. I was very sure.

He picked me up Friday morning and I was waiting impatiently out on the sidewalk with a rolling suitcase and my big fat garment bag and an impossible grin on my face.

The ceremony itself was pretty funny. The guy did look just like Elvis and the chapel couldn't have been any cheesier. We giggled through the whole thing until it came time to say the vows and then we got breathy and quiet. My heart pounded in my chest and I had never felt more right about anything in my life.

It was still fairly early and we were hungry so we got in line at the buffet in the hotel. People stared and smiled at my dress and let us ahead of them in line. We stuffed ourselves and beamed at each other every time someone stopped to congratulate us. Then we attracted more stares and comments while we gambled on the nickel slots and video poker machines. We drank cheap (free actually) house champagne until we were both a little drunk and had lost almost twenty dollars between us.

We couldn't stop laughing because as we swiped our room card, the green light would change to red before Eric had time to pick me up and open the door. We finally gave up on the third try and stumbled into the room together. The door clicked closed behind us as I turned on the entryway light and we stopped and stared into each others eyes, still panting from the laughter.

Our smiles quickly faded as we crashed into each other, our lips pressing together and our tongues wildly intertwining. Eric pushed me up against the wall as his hands frantically gathered the fabric of the skirt of my voluminous dress. My hands dropped desperately to his fly and had him freed within seconds. Before I could even register what had happened, my tiny white lacy thong had been shoved aside and Eric's massive erection was inside me as he rhythmically slammed me into the wall. I cried out loudly as he pounded into me and his mouth found my cleavage. His tongue dragged a wet trail up my neck and he was growling into my ear just before his entire body stiffened and I felt the telltale pulsing indicating his climax.

Within seconds, he was laughing into my neck. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry." Clearly, this wasn't how he had planned our wedding night to begin.

I giggled, "You owe me a marital orgasm, mister."

Eric

It had obviously been awhile since Sookie and I had made love and between all that pent-up sexual frustration and the champagne and the way she looked in that dress, well, I just lost it and came faster than a teenager. It was completely embarrassing, but Sookie didn't seem to mind. Fortunately, she was laughing with me (and not at me?).

I probably apologized half a dozen times as I kissed her beautifully splotchy neck and chest, mesmerized by her heaving cleavage as she panted breathlessly. I pulled out and tucked myself shamefully back into my pants as I led her towards the bed. She smiled lazily and turned around to present me with the long row of tiny satin-covered buttons down her back. I began unbuttoning dutifully, occasionally stealing a kiss from her shoulder or neck. When I reached the bottom, she braced herself on my shoulder and stepped out of the dress as I pulled it down to the floor. I carefully draped it across a chair and turned back to Sookie. She was stepping out of the long full petticoat and kicking off her shoes. I turned her around again and began unhooking the back of her white corset. I carefully hooked my finger under the lacy string of her thong and centered it after I had so rudely pushed it to the side earlier. My fingers lingered on the smooth skin of her perfect ass for just a moment. I peeled away the corset as Sookie turned back to face me and was horrified at the long red vertical welts that indented the skin of her torso. My fingers traced them gently and then I looked back to her face with an unasked question.

"Wedding dresses aren't designed for comfort." She sat down on the bed and lay back as I knelt between her legs and began tenderly kissing the red lines. "It's okay. They only have to be suffered for one day." I stopped. "Well, I guess two, in my case."

I looked up into her eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." I'd needed to hear those words for a long time.

I buried my face into her stomach and held still, silently thanking anything that might be listening for getting us to this place. Then I stood and began to undress. Sookie watched with interest while she sat up and began to pull the pins out of her hair. The hotel salon had styled it into an intricate pile on top of her head before we'd gone to the chapel.

As I was stepping out of my boxers, Sookie was discarding her thong and shaking her head to release her hair. It all fell perfectly down around her shoulders as she lay back onto the bed and opened her legs seductively. "Come here, husband."

I crawled into the center of the bed, burying my face in her and chuckling as I fingered the perfect heart sculpted by the salon where she had gotten waxed. I looked up at her and smiled. "I like this."

"I thought you might."

I turned my attention back to my task which I performed with great gusto. I knew just how to please Sookie after years of happy practice and she seemed most grateful. Actually, she did thank me rather formally after her second orgasm.

I eagerly crawled up to meet her hooded gaze and whispered, "Happy wedding day," as I entered her. Her lips found mine and we kissed tenderly as we began moving in perfect rhythm, sweetly and urgently declaring our love to each other. This time I lasted through two more dramatic climaxes and by the time I came myself, we were both exhausted and happily collapsed together. It was the perfect wedding night. (Okay, I'm not even counting that first horny fuck up against the wall.)

We grinned to each other in the bathroom mirror as she washed her makeup off and we both brushed our teeth. I loved our simple little domestic rituals and had missed them dearly. We crawled back into the bed, naked and sated, and as we spooned together and began drifting off to sleep, Sookie whispered, "Goodnight, husband," and I replied, "Goodnight, wife." I'd finally found my happiness again by her side and it couldn't have felt any better.


	13. Chapter 13

Sookie

We'd been married for a blissful two weeks and two days the day we met Bill and little Eric in the park. Bill took a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it, handing it to the boy. He shyly held it up for Eric and then hid behind Bill's leg. I looked down to see a sweet drawing of a stick man and woman, both with lots of yellow hair. I assumed that it was me and Eric, but Bill said that it was actually Pam. She had fed him lunch after all.

Eric squatted down and little Eric came around Bill's leg and tentatively took a step towards Eric. Eric leaned in and whispered into the boy's ear for a long time which elicited a nod and a shy smile. Then he turned and ran to the swing set and climbed into a swing.

Bill pulled another folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Eric. I knew by the size of it that it was a check.

"Thank you." Eric sounded sincere.

"You're welcome. I'm sorry about all this, Eric. Really, I am. And I'm grateful to you for not pressing charges. Believe it or not, Arlene really is remorseful." There was an awkward silence. "Apparently this all started when Arlene contacted the tabloids, hoping to sell information about your relationship with her in college. That didn't get her anywhere, but one of the writers put her in touch with that Pelt woman. I guess she was the publicist behind some of the scandals." Bill looked to me for confirmation and I nodded. "Anyway, Arlene claims that the whole thing was the brainchild of that publicist. She had a sister who worked for a lawyer, and well…you know the rest. I know the sister lost her job at the attorney's office, but I'm sure your attorney has advised you that you have options there…a lawsuit maybe. I really hate to see them get away with this."

"We just want to move on."

"Right. Just be careful. There's no telling what else they're capable of."

We both nodded in agreement. I was afraid of the Pelt sisters.

"Maybe it's wrong that I'm glad Arlene didn't get into any trouble, but she is the mother of my children." I felt a twinge of pity for Bill.

My pity quickly changed to curiosity. "So, did you have another paternity test?"

"No. Arlene had already tested me without my knowledge and those results were switched with Eric's. I suppose I could do another test to be certain, but the science of it is really insignificant. Those boys are my life and nothing will change that."

Eric was watching the boy on the swing. "Did you change his name back?"

"No. Actually, it had never officially been changed in the first place. It's still Eric Compton."

"So it was always Eric?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure why. Maybe she really did always have a thing for you. Or maybe she just liked the name. Doesn't matter now. It's his name."

After a few more minutes, Bill and little Eric said their good-byes and big Eric and I sat on our bench and held hands.

"I'm relieved, of course, that I'm not a father after all, but I have to say, all this has made me realize that I'm not completely innocent here." I turned to him, interested in where he might be going with this. "I mean, I was wrong in the way I treated women in college. There's no question about that. Maybe I didn't produce a child, but I did produce an angry, vindictive former lover. I was too immature at the time to realize it, but by disrespecting her and others, I may have made myself some enemies and deservedly so."

"Okay. I can see that. But Arlene wasn't the only bad guy here. Let's not forget the lovely Pelt sisters. That's my fault, not yours. I mean maybe if I hadn't agreed to have dinner with Alcide that one night--maybe if I had been more forceful in rejecting his kiss…I don't know…maybe Debbie Pelt wouldn't have felt so threatened by me?" I raised my voice in a question, not really sure if I was even buying my own line of thinking.

Eric pondered it for a minute and shook his head. "Nope, sorry. Mine's worse."

"Yeah, you're right. You win." We sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. "You know, though, if she really did name her baby after you, that is kind of sad." He just nodded. "I mean, I always hoped to be the only women to name a baby after you."

Eric turned to me, tilting his head, his eyes asking a silent question.

"Well, yeah. I mean, you know, someday…"

"Right. Someday." He leaned in with a soft smile on his lips and gave me a gentle kiss. "I hope so."

And then we stood and turned towards home, hand in hand, heading for our future together.

XXX

A/N: Please enjoy the next in the series—Love Is Hard.


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